On Spatial Dynamics

Executive Summary

It has long been recognized that the forces that lead to the agglomeration of economic activity and to aggregate growth are similar. Unfortunately, few formal frameworks have been advanced to explore this link. The authors critically discuss the literature and present a simple framework that can circumvent some of the main obstacles they identify. They discuss the main characteristics of an equilibrium allocation in this dynamic spatial framework, present a numerical example to illustrate the forces at work, and provide some supporting empirical evidence.